2019 Lectric eBikes Lectric XP Review

To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This in-depth review was sponsored by Lectric eBikes. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of Lectric eBikes products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below and the Lectric eBikes electric bike forums.

Observations:

• Great attention to detail on the hardware and customer support for such a young (less than a year old at the time of this review) company. This is definitely value-priced, but they don’t skimp on the truly important parts as much as I was expecting (alloy folding platform pedals from Wellgo, Nice display… but no USB ports, included steel fenders and “be seen” Blaze-Lights wired into the battery pack.
• The bike defaults to assist level zero for safety, you get full throttle power in levels 1-5, to turn the bike on you must insert and twist the keys… then leave them hanging from the base of the downtube

Pros:

• One of the biggest and most obvious advantages to this electric bicycle is the low price, it’s slightly more than some China-direct products but offers way more support, better attention to detail, and will arrive sooner with warranty and quality battery cells… to me, that’s worth at least $100
• The battery pack and controller are hidden on this frame, that gives it a nice aesthetic and probably protects the parts from physical impact and the elements… though it requires a bit more effort to remove the battery. The wires and electrical cabling is all external, but on a folding frame, that can mean they won’t get pinched as easily
• I love that the bike comes in two colors, and am a fan of their design and accent color choices, this lets you and a friend personalize a bit, and the white is my favorite because it’s more visible at night… great for a lower-riding bike where you’ll be easier to see, and Lectric eBikes even paint matched the fork and fenders on both models!
• I love the sturdy Wellgo platform pedals they chose here, many other folding pedals are plastic and offer less surface area and rigidity, the plastic chain guide and steel derailleur guard also keep it running smoothly and protected when folding and unfolding, the chain shouldn’t drop off and you’ll be less likely to get a snag or bend in the derailleur cable and motor power cable
• The battery design is compact and nicely hidden, I like that they use LG cells in the pack (higher quality) and offer a replacement pack for less than a few hundred dollars! Solid one year warranty with good customer support availability and willingness to make things right
• Two decent accessories including water resistant pannier bags and a long suspension seat post for added comfort. I found their accessories and replacement parts to be well priced
• The display is large and easy to read, it angles slightly to help you reduce glare, has a higher resolution 10-bar battery charge level indicator, and offers lots of adjustability in the settings… including the ability to set the top speed at ~28 MPH for speed pedelec performance, or lower it for better range and possibly safety or peace of mind for some riders
• The Lectric XP has a high-resolution 12-magnet cadence sensors which makes starting and stopping more predictable, I love that they also included motor inhibitors on both brake levers, I always turn the bike completely off before hopping on or off and folding just to be safe, and the buttons to interact with the display are easily reachable and simple to understand (up, down, and M for “mode selection” and “power on/off”
• The kickstand is positioned very well at the rear end of the bike, this won’t cause pedal lock and it didn’t bounce around or make a lot of noise during my test rides… even on bumpy hilly grass sections
• Both wheels are built with thicker 12 gauge spokes for increased durability and weight capacity on the bike, the official max weight rating is 330 pounds (~149 kilograms) which is the best I’ve seen for a folding model
• The geared hub motor is zippy and powerful, it gets a big mechanical advantage because of the smaller 20″ wheels and can produce a lot of torque (up to 60 newton meters), it freewheels efficiently and is fat-tire specific so it’s wider and offers a solid bracing angle for the spokes
• The rear rack is wide, has a spring latch, and uses standard gauge tubing so it will work with most aftermarket pannier bags, please note that it’s 55lb (25kg) max weight rating subtracts from the total load of the bike (so a 55lb loaded rack plus a 275lb rider combine to 330lbs)
• Even though the saddle and ergonomic grips are unbranded, they both performed very well and offered a lot of comfort, especially the saddle which is thick, not too wide that it chaffs your legs, and has rubber bumpers for added cushion
• The bike comes fully assembled, so you don’t need any tools or a bike stand to get going. It’s not a bad idea to take it in for a quick tuneup and possibly lube the chain or adjust the twist barrel adjusters on the shifting (if it’s not shifting just perfectly) but in general, this is a great purchase experience for people… just be careful lifting the bike out of the big box, because it’s heavy
• I thought it was kind of creative that the team put a picture of a television on the outside of the box, which they say has improved the way that shipping companies handle the package… they also added more and more padding to ensure that the product arrives in great shape, and they have touch-up paint for people who need it if they get a scratch
• I appreciate that the bike has walk mode, especially with the heavier build… this can be useful for ascending hills that are too technical to ride up, or to walk when through a crowded area if the rear rack is fully loaded, but keep in mind that this walk mode doesn’t auto-shutoff like most other ebikes, I had to tap the brakes to send the motor cutoff signal for it to stop, which surprised me a little bit

Cons:

• The biggest thing I hear when people suggest improvements to the bike is that they’d like suspension, but this adds weight and cost, the Lectric XP opted for high-volume fat tires instead, and they suggest lowering the PSI a bit to improve comfort… and they also sell a suspension seat post
• The handlebar is a bit narrow, this can make the steering feel a bit twitchy… especially since it has smaller 20″ wheels, this is easy enough to fix with a different handlebar but it’s something Lectric eBikes could also upgrade in the future. Consider a bar that’s got a bit more rise and backsweep like we see on the e-Joe Epik SE, but this could take up more space when folding
• Very basic Shimano Tourney derailleur and limited range freewheel, it offers 14 to 28 tooth sprockets vs 11 to 34 or more. Given the adjustable speed settings, up to ~28mph, it would be nice to see an upgraded cassette and a rust resistant chain
• The chain, steel fork, steel fenders, and steel rack are all vulnerable to rust… and the headset isn’t sealed. These are strength and cost savings decisions and it’s cool that the fenders don’t rattle around as much as plastic or aluminum alloy but they do also add weight
• The bike is fairly heavy at ~62.2 pounds (28.2kg), especially for a folding ebike. Yes, you can remove the 6.6lb battery pack and even take the rack and fenders off… but that takes time and manny people will just want to load it up and go, consider getting help from a friend and lift with your legs, not your back ;)
• These aren’t complaints as much as comparisons to other slightly more expensive products, the tires don’t have reflective strips, the lights are kind of basic, the mechanical brakes and levers are pretty entry-level, there’s no quick release on the front wheel, no options for adding a front rack, the kickstand is positioned well but not adjustable and the bike leans pretty far to the left, and the seat clamp is just lame… but how often do you need to adjust the seat angle? I believe that these are all cost savings decisions
• I wish the locking core was somewhere more convenient than below the main tube, it requires you to bend down and insert upwards in a direction that you can’t really look at unless you get down on your knees, and turning the key wasn’t particularly easy or smooth for me… these issues are all compounded by the requirement that you insert the keys and turn the bike to on each time you want to ride! The guys said this has to do with safety so the bike can’t be tampered with, and also that it completely shuts down the battery so it won’t slowly drain and get damaged… but for me, even having to leave the keys in while riding (possibly dangling down with a keychain on them) is annoying and uncommon
• There are no USB charging ports on the display or battery pack here, that’s something you get with most competing bikes that are just a bit more expensive, but that can also slowly drain the battery, add electronic complexity, and not everyone needs it, so I see why they left it off
• The display is large and easy to read but not removable, so it could take extra weather wear and possibly get scratched at a bike rack, if the bike gets crashed, or if you’re folding it
• The motor controller is square wave vs sine wave, so it produces more noise and isn’t as smooth as some of the more expensive products, you can see and hear this in the video review above during the ride test
• This is more of a preference thing, but the pedal assist engaged slower than I’m used to and the lowest level was a bit stronger and more abrupt than competing products… but the bike does offer good power
• Only one frame size with the mid-step style, but that’s part of what keeps the price down, the top tube is easy enough to step over and the extra long seat post and telescoping stem provide great fit options for taller people, be careful when pedaling so you don’t bonk your knees on the big folding buckle
• I’m not a huge fan of the big thumb shifter design for the gears because it seems like I have to stretch my right hand to reach it and the gears don’t shift as quickly or crisply, but this same shifter is often chosen to make room for twist throttles (as we see here), and the larger shifter levers can be easier to interact with when wearing gloves
• The 160mm mechanical disc brakes worked okay during my ride test, especially with the smaller 20″ wheels, but I definitely prefer hydraulic because the levers are easier to pull and can be reach-adjusted for small and large hands, expect the right lever (for the rear brake) to be harder to pull, for there to be some cable stretch over time, and for both levers to become more gunked up over time as dust and water get into the cable housings
• Minor gripe here, there doesn’t appear to be any bottle cage mounting points, you might have to use a trunk bag with a bottle holster, or maybe wear a hydration pack or something, I can see why they skipped bosses because the frame is compact and the folding could bend an accessory
• There is no folding retention mechanism (like magnets or a rubber strap), so consider buying so plastic bungee cords and putting a towel between the two portions of frame to keep the bike from rattling around and scratching itself up